A Laven Xmas Tale: The Exorcist and the Noah King
by Shadow Storyteller
Summary: Based of off 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.' Can Allen break the curse on himself and Lavi the nutcracker? Laven! One-shot!


**This will be a mix of the original story, **_The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, _**and **_Barbie in The Nutcracker _**(don't judge. Ut's the only other version of the Nutcracker I know, and it's more interesting than the original in terms of the roles the people play). This was done for fun, but criticism is welcome with open arms. Believe me.**

**Note: unbetaed**

**Edited slightly 2/24/13 to fix character roles and one or two bad details because Lenalee was _way_ OOC.  
><strong>

"Yu! I'm so glad you came for onc- why is he tied up?"

Allen sighs. "I couldn't get him here any other way, Mr. Tiedoll."

Tiedoll's eyes blink a couple times behind his glasses before he smiles warmly. His gray afro-like hair blows in the wind outside, catching snow flakes. "Thank you for getting my last son here, Allen." He moves from the door of his big house to make way. "Why don't you come in? I know Cross is…busy today-"

"By 'busy,' you mean drinking himself into a coma with some women," Allen supplies, readjusting his grip on the rope binding Kanda. Tiedoll helplessly nods as the young teen moves passed him into his home, pulling a struggling Kanda with him.

The heat of the fireplace instantly warms the white haired teen from head to toe, getting his face show a small smile at the heat. Stunning gray-blue eyes scan the familiar room filled with a small sitting area, a TV with a football game playing, and a couch occupied by Tiedoll's other two sons. A small Christmas tree pilled high with presents sits in a corner with a glass case filled with dolls standing proudly next to it.

"Bastard Moyashi!" yells a furious Kanda, finally successful in getting his gag off. Dark eyes narrow dangerously as he blows his long, black hair from his face. "Why the hell kind of stunt is this?"

"I hear cussing!" comes a high voice from the couch. "Allen musta got Kanda here! You owe me twenty bucks, Marie!"

Allen frowns and moves over to the couch, leaving a murderous Kanda to struggle out of the rope binding him by himself. "Thanks for have so much faith in me, Marie." He frowns as he perches on the side of the couch.

The dark skinned man laughs, adjusting his ever-present headphones. "I've learned not to underestimate a cornered Kanda," he tells Allen, eerily turning his head to where the boy sits even with his lack of vision. "Last time we tried tog to him here my force, Christmas was spent in a ward. The time before that, jail."

"Aw, you make it sound so bad!" tsks Daisya, grabbing the money from his foster brother greedily. He still looks the part of a jester with his crazy pointed hat and purple, upside down triangles painted under his eyes. "The jailbird Christmas was fun!"

The sound of a sword being unsheathed sends shivers down the spines of all sitting on the couch. The three slowly turn around to a pissed off Kanda surrounded by hellfire. "Why don't we spend another Christmas there, then? Who's the first victim?" His eyes and sword shoot to Allen. "How about Moyashi here?"

"You didn't take Mugen?" yells Daisya.

Allen glares at him. "I don't know where he keeps the thing! I was _not _striping Kanda to find a goddamn katana! For all we know, that's the 'stick' he keeps up his ass!"

The angry swordsman growls and jumps at Allen. The teen swiftly moves out of the way. The two fall into a familiar pattern of Allen dodging, Kanda slashing, and both exchanging insults back and forth. Tiedoll sighs as he discards the rope and moves to the kitchen for food, knowing extra will have to be made for the white haired teen. Daisya and Marie, glad they aren't the ones being attacked, turn back to the game.

"Stand still, Bean sprout!"

"You're mom's a bean sprout!" yells Allen, ducking under the sword and moving back. His foot catches on the rope Tiedoll had carelessly thrown, causing his foot to slip and his elbow to fall backwards into the glass case filled with dolls. Kanda stops his attack as the glass shatters, sending the dolls bouncing onto Allen's head.

"Ow!" groans the teen, rubbing his head as the last one lands hard on his head and falls into his lap. "I know this…" Allen breaths, tenderly picking up the nutcracker.

"Che! That ugly thing we broke seven years ago? It's still broken!"

Allen glares at Kanda, holding his hands over the ears on the nutcracker. "Shhh! He's sensitive!" He moves his hands to gently finger the old, orange ribbon tied around the item's head. " You're a very handsome doll, aren't you? It _is _all Kanda's fault your jaw is broken, huh?"

Kanda sheathes his sword and sits down next to Allen. "It's a nutcracker! The whole reason it was made is to crack nuts! It isn't my fault he broke his jaw cracking mine!"

"He was made to admire!" Allen scolds.

'It really is handsome,' thinks the teen, drinking in the well-crafted doll. Black boots are painted up to its knees. White pants are shown for an inch or two before a black, zip up jacket with white accents graces its form. Instead of a hat like most nutcrackers, this one has crazy red hair 'held up' by a green headband. The only imperfection on the whole doll other than its jaw is a small crack in the right emerald eye that stretches from the eye to his wide, grinning mouth.

"Food!" yells Tiedoll suddenly, causing everyone to dash to the kitchen, Allen leading the pack. He reaches for a plate, but stops when he realizes the nutcracker is still in his hand. He glances around for a place to put it, trying to find a location where food can't ruin it. In the end, he moves back to the living room and sets it near the Christmas tree.

He ends up being he last to get his food after patching up his arm (the damage was minimum), so by the time Allen goes back into the living room, all the seats are taken. He could sit on Kanda's lap just to piss him off, but he actually wants to eat and not die, so he ends up next to the nutcracker. Allen has no interest in sports (unless it's poker), so his attention inevitably goes back to the nutcracker.

Tiedoll catches him and finishes chewing his food before asking, "Do you remember the old story about nutcrackers I told you the year I brought that home?"

Everyone, excluding Kanda, smiles at the old memory. Allen had been eight, Kanda and Daisya eleven, and Marie already twenty-one. Allen and Kanda had been fighting about breaking the nutcracker and was raising to blows with fists (Mugen hadn't been bought yet) when Cross, drunk of his ass, had crushed the two boys heads together for being too loud and yelled at Tiedoll to distract them.

"It started with Princess Lenalee and Earl Millennium," recalls Allen, eyes not leaving the nutcracker. "Earl Millennium was the king of a special kind of mouse called Noah." Noah mice start out life as regular pale coated mice with average intelligence. About half way through their life cycle, the coat's color changes to a rich ashy brown with a ring of black around the head. The intelligence level also jumps up to extreme levels.

"The Earl tricked Lenalee into allowing the Noah to eat all the ham that was supposed to make up most of the king's dinner. The king, named Komui, was enraged his precious sister had been tricked and all his food taken," Tiedoll continues, pausing a few times to take a bite of food.

Daisya nods. "And then the Komui dude made his slave-"

"He wasn't a slave, idiot!" barks Kanda. Even if he would sooner die than admit it, this story was his favorite, and he wouldn't let some moron ruin it for him. "He was his inventor."

"Good job, Yu!" smiles Tiedoll happily, dodging a blow from the young adult. "Now, his inventor, named Bookman, was told to create traps for the Earl and his children." Everyone falls silent as Tiedoll talks, his voice taking a dream-like quality that any storyteller or voice actor could envy. "The Earl, angered by the death of all his 'children,' vowed revenge on the king, bragging it would be a hit worse than death. The object of his revenge," Tiedoll moves his eyes slowly, meeting everyone's captivated eyes as he pauses for affect, "was Lenalee."

"Her mother surrounded her with cats loyal only to their family. The only way to keep them wake, however, was to constantly pet them. After so many sleepless nights, the help hired to stroke the cats inevitably fell asleep, and the Earl, using his magic, turned Lenalee ugly, giving her a huge head, a cottony beard, and a wide grinning mouth like a stereotypical nutcracker." Tiedoll points to his own nutcracker. "Mine doesn't have a beard and is more modern, but still has the characteristic head and grin."

'It's a good thing, too,' thinks Allen. 'I can't imagine this one with a beard; his face seems to young for it.'

"Now, Komui was obviously distraught and blamed Bookman for not come up with another way to keep the cats awake. Bookman was given only four weeks to find a cure, but- alas!- the task was impossible!" yells Tiedoll, really getting into the story now. "At the end of the time limit, not cure was found, so Bookman had not choice but to ask his friend and astrologer, Johnny, for help. Lenalee's horoscope was read, and the cure was found! 'The only way,' they told the king, 'is to have her eat a Crackatook, which must be cracked and handed to her by a man who has neither shaved nor worn boots since birth. The man must then, without opening his eyes, hand her the kernel and take seven steps backwards without stumbling."

"Seems like a lot of trouble for some ugly chick," observes Kanda dryly. "Stop laughing!" he adds, directing it to Daisya.

"He said 'Crackatook!'" chokes out the laughing male, delightfully spitting his food out all over the area.

Allen waves his hand. "Ignore him and finish the story."

After a smile, the story continues. "Komui sent Bookman and Johnny to look for the nut and the young man. With the threat of death hanging over them if they were to return without the man and nut, both put their all into looking. Even then, the journey took many years, the two slowly loosing hope with each day until they finally returned home, only to find the nut in a small shop on the edge of the market. Even worse, the man that never shaved or had wore boots ended up to be Bookman's grandson, Lavi. Komui promised his sister's hand to whoever could break the nut once it was found, even though the promise made him weep bitterly as soon as it was made."

"But if she was ugly, who'd want to marry her?" asks Daisya.

"Ah, but she was the next in line for the thrown," points out Tiedoll. "Komui's enthusiasm for inventions ensured even the bravest woman won't dare marry him. It was very likely Lenalee's husband or child would be the next ruler. Many men broke their teeth trying to open the nut before Lavi finally appeared. He cracked it easily and handed it to the princess with his eyes closed as the cure commanded. Lenalee eagerly swallowed the kernel, immediately becoming beautiful. Her head shrunk, her wide grin changed to a soft smile with full lips, her eyes glowed with a purple hard to find in even the most shiny stone, and her long, green hair shimmered like a mermaid's. However, Lavi, on his seventh step backwards, tripped on one of the Earl's servants. The curse rebounded on him, making his head swell and his mischievous smile morph into a permanent grin. In short, he became a nutcracker. The ungrateful Lenalee refused to marry him after seeing how ugly Lavi had become and banished him from the castle."

As always, Allen feels a pang of anger towards Lenalee. With his unusual white hair and disfigured arm, he himself had been called ugly more than once. 'Looks don't always matter,' he thinks bitterly, unconsciously rubbing his covered red arm with his other hand as he stares at the nutcracker. 'Had it been me, I would've let him live in with me happily.'

Allen recalls how the very same year he heard this story he had a strange 'dream.' Everyone else had gone to bed, but he'd insisted staying up to try and fix the nutcracker. The old miniature grandfather clock Tiedoll owned began to chime, and Allen had thought he saw and old man resembling a panda sitting on the top, stopping it from chiming. Mice he recognized has Noah had come out from the floor board, scaring Allen half to death. Dolls Tiedoll collected over the years had began to move as well.

"Get them!" yelled a voice near Allen, making the dolls run and collide with the mice. He looked over and saw the nutcracker standing in command, using a long, orange ribbon as a flag! The dolls looked to be winning, but were soon taken out by the sheer number of Noah. Allen panicked when he saw the nutcracker about to be broken by a Noah and, thinking quickly, picked up a near by shoe and threw it at the commander of the mice. Horrible eyes had locked with his, and he'd fainted.

The next morning, he told the others what had happened, but Cross had just smacked him in the head. Still, every time he came to Tiedoll's house, he has a dream about the nutcracker. Usually, they would just talk, but Allen realized later how bad the dreams impacted him. When the earth shattering truth that he'd begun to fall for the imaginary man hit him, he'd stopped visiting so frequently.

Food is finished, and presents are exchanged. A blizzard rages outside, so Allen ends up sleeping on the couch. The others- excluding Kanda- insisted he take one of their beds, but Allen's pride wouldn't let him accept charity. With a full belly and the warm fire, he's soon sleeping like a baby.

+…+

_DING! _Chimes the clock, startling Allen from sleep. Confused, he rubs his eyes, trying to see in the now dark room. The only light given off comes from the dead fire, not helping the dropping temperature from the storm outside.

_DING!_

'Are those…feet?' thinks Allen slowly, sitting up. Next to him, he can here a sound like wood hitting wood sound suddenly. 'What's that?'

"Prepare to attack!" yells a voice Allen had thought to be a dream. Startled, he swivels around just as the fire bursts to life, illuminating a wooden nutcracker with a familiar ribbon. The sound of a war cry echoes from the case Allen had shattered. The doors fly open as, just like seven years ago, toys collide with mice coming from the floorboards.

"I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy," chants Allen, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "I'm just imagining mice and toys fighting each other! …That sounds even worse."

"Woo-ho!" yells the voice of the nutcracker. Allen snaps his eyes over to the noise to see it swinging a hammer around. "This is awesome!"

The teen can't help but laugh at the joy of the little toy, but he quickly changes to a cry of 'Watch out!' as he sees a Noah mouse holding a small, purple umbrella advance toward the nutcracker. He isn't fast enough to block the blow and falls to the floor.

"No!" yells Allen, grabbing a small bouncy ball Daisya had gotten him as a joke gift and launching it at the head Noah. It connects solidly…with the nutcracker. Thankfully, the ball also hits the umbrella the Noah mouse was using to threaten him.

"Mmf!" yells the nutcracker. "Are you helping me or not?"

"Well _sorry_!" yells Allen back. "Next time, you can just get killed by the mouse with an umbrella!"

"Hey, human child," starts a creepy voice, "do you know the consequence for hitting the great Earl?" Allen freezes and turns his head to meet the same eyes of seven years ago. His legs turn weak, but he remains conscious this time. "Shame you didn't faint again; it would've saved your life!"

The mouse runs at Allen, umbrella glowing supernaturally. "No!" yells the nutcracker, running as fast as he can towards them, but he's too late.

"Shrink!" yells the Earl, whapping Allen on his foot with the purple umbrella.

Several moments pass with everyone, mouse and doll alike, frozen. "Impressive," Allen states blankly. "I think I'm dying. Ouch…ou…ah-" Allen suddenly gasps. From the point of the strike starts a numb tingle, spreading fast through his body like venom. It leaves an eerie sparkle on his skin as it travels, covering him from head to toe in a minute flat. He starts shrinking, fast. The nutcracker, knowing the Noah will be on the human in a second flat once the spell is done, sprints forward while everyone is distracted. Planting his feet solidly on the ground, he whips his hammer around to hit the Earl. The blow sends him flying away.

Allen's hand is grabbed as soon as his shirking is complete. With a pang, he realizes the bloody nutcracker is _taller _than him. 'Thank god Kanda is not here; he would never let me live this down.'

"We need to get to the glass shelf you broke!" yells out the nutcracker. "Once there, just run straight through the 'wood' that serves as a back. If you slow down at all, we'll both slam into it and I don't want to have my jaw fixed again!"

"Like the train station in Harry Potter?"

"Who the hell is Harry Potter? Just run straight through!" Allen nods to his back, eyes scanning fearfully to the sides to check for mice. "Here it comes!"

Gray-blue eyes snap forward just in time to see the 'wood.' A yell sounds from his throat when passes through, a wet feeling embracing his body as his vision turns black. He blinks a coupe times, but I stays dark. Frightened, he squeezes his hand tighter around the one holding his and fills relief when his is squeezed back in return.

Suddenly, the ground drops from beneath him. Allen yelps as he feels gravity take hold, falling through space. He clings desperately to the nutcracker's hand as he falls, not even letting go as he lands hard in a pile of snow.

"Damn it!" sputters the nutcracker, shaking snow from his flaming hair. "We took a wrong turn!"

'Wait…' Allen looks at the toy five feet away from him. 'If he's there, who's hand…' He looks to the side and yells out, dropping the severed arm in the snow.

"Ow!" yells the other male, rubbing his empty socket. "That hurt!" he tells Allen indignantly, walking over to retrieve his arm. "Why'd you have to do that, Allen?"

The teen backs up, eyeing the nutcracker. "How do you know my name?"

"Yu constantly gripes about you," supplies the toy, twisting his arm back into place. "I'm Lavi, by the way."

"The one from the story?" asks Allen curiously.

"The very same." Lavi winks, but it's hard to tell with his milky other eye. "Anyway, we should've landed back at Komui's castle, but we seem to've taken a wrong turn. Sorry."

Allen runs his hand through his hair. "Wait, I have a few questions I need you to answer."

"Yes, I've always been this hot. Yes, I'm single. Yes, you do have a chance with me."

"Get off your high horse and listen," grumbles Allen, mentally yelling at himself for feeling hope at the last two comments. 'Who gets the hots for a piece of wood? Sure, he's handsome, but this is a _dream_.' He clears his throat. "One, why would you go back to Komui's castle; didn't the princess banish you? Two, why were you having a war in my friend's living room? Three, why did my clothes shrink with me?"

Lavi raises his eyebrows at the last sentence. "You want to walk around naked?"

Allen blushes. "No, but in books ages thirteen and over, spells don't work on clothes. Clothes only shrink in children's books."

"Maybe because even mice have boundaries and don't want to capture a naked guy?" Lavi shrugs. "Anyway, to answer your first question, kinda, but not because of the reason Tiedoll says." He takes a deep breath. "I was actually the one who tripped the man who broke the curse. It was an accident, but I got the rebound instead! I wasn't so much banished as I begged to be kicked out so Gramps didn't get the heat. Princess Lenalee was kidnapped by the Earl, and I've been told if I can get her back, they'll help me break the curse."

"Oh." Allen blinks. "So there was no reason to hate the princess after all."

The nutcracker grins- well, his grin grows bigger. "Nope. To answer your next question, we hold a war there because under the floorboards is where the Noah kingdom is. The only other way to get there is dangerous, so we keep trying a frontal attack till we can figure out how to get there the other way." Lavi moves towards a light coming from a tunnel. "Come on, we gotta get going."

"You want me to go towards to light?" Allen asks. "Sure, why not?" He moves forward, but falls for the second time in the last couple hours.

"My scarf!" Lavi yells, running back to untangle the other's feet from the orange ribbon. The nutcracker winds it comfortably around his neck and helps Allen up. "Alright, now we can go. On ward!"

+…+

"Let me out, you sorry excuses for mice!" screams a girl dressed in a shredded green dress. "Come and fight me, you slimy little-"

"Shut up!" screeches a mouse with messy black hair named David, slamming closed the glass case now holding Princess Lenalee, who continues screaming. "And wash your mouth with some soup!" he finishes, reading her lips.

Behind him, a mouse with long blonde hair named Jasdero is crackling madly. "Stupid little princess knocked off her high horse again! Too bad there isn't any nutcracker willing to save you this time!"

Lenalee glares at the two. "Oh, my brother will find someone to help me! Then you'll all be mince meat once I get out!"

Both Noah laugh at her words, but fall silent when the Earl, followed by his commander Tyki Mikk, stroll into the room. "What are you doing to Tyki's prize?" asks the Earl in a frightening nice voice.

The two mice quickly respond, "Nothing!"

Tyki glares at the twins with narrowed golden eyes. "Then go get the nutcracker and the white haired girl with him." When the two don't move, he grabs a plate from the nearby table and throws it like a Frisbee at them. It shatters against Lenalee's case, making the three cry out. "Now!"

The twins dash for the door as Tyki confidently struts to the cage holding the princess. "Did you miss me?" he asks her, ignoring the insults she throws back at him. "Smile. In just a few days, you'll be my wife, and your kingdom with be ours. Of course," Tyki kneels down and picks up a sharp shard of broken plate, "you may have an 'accident' before you see us destroy your loved ones."

"Starting," interrupts the Earl, "with that meddling nutcracker."

+…+

"Is that house made of _food_?" asks Allen, excitement clear on his face.

Lavi smacks the back of his head. "No. Bad Allen. That's someone's house- no, wait." He squints his working eye. "That's Link's house; go ahead and eat it."

The boy cheers and dashes towards the house, but finds himself hit by a snowball. Lavi starts forward to help, but is hit as well. "Take another step and the next one will have a rock in it!" warns a female voice from behind a house next to Link's. Teasingly, Allen takes a step, only to dive out of the way as another ball of snow flies at his head. It smashes through a window behind him.

'There really was a rock!' thinks Allen, scrambling back to Lavi. "Lavi! You're made of wood; stand in front of me! It'll just dent you a little."

"Thanks, Allen," replies Lavi sarcastically.

"Wait," a head of pink hair pokes out from behind the house, "did you just say Lavi? As in 'the Lavi trying to save the princess?"

Allen looks at her curiously, pokes his head out from behind the nutcracker. "…Yeah…"

"I have a message for you from Bak!" she declares, bravely stepping out. A short purple dress is her only protection from the cold, but there's no waver in her gait as she struts up to Lavi. "'We found another way to the castle. There's hope for you yet.'"

A spark lights in the back of the emerald colored stones used as Lavi's eyes at her words, but goes out as the sound of a horse is heard. "Is anyone coming to met you, Fou?"

Fou's red eyes widen in fear. "No," she hisses. "It has to be the Noah." She quietly moves back toward the houses and waves her hand. "There's a check point in the nearby forest where Bak and I are staying with a few others. _Quietly _follow me…and no food!" she adds, glancing to Allen, who is still eyeing Link's house.

"But Lavi said I could eat it~" he whines softly as Lavi follows her.

Fou groans impatiently. "Tell you what: come with me and you can have cake at the check point." Allen follows, a small smile on his face at the promise of food.

All three peek around the building, causing Allen to notice at least Fou is shorter than him. Two mice, one with dark short hair and the other with long blond hair, sit on a horse, guns loaded and ready. When they move passed, the group sprints across the road. The pattern repeats at each road, the Noahs sometimes there and sometimes not.

Looking at the group, it was inevitable something was going to go wrong to get them noticed if you mashed a girl with major anger issues, a cursed nutcracker, and a hungry glutton.

_Grumble!_

Everyone freezes as Allen blushes red, throwing his arms around his middle in an attempt to quiet his stomach as they pass an especially delicious looking house. "What the hell!" snaps Fou, voice slightly too loud. Unknown to them, it's heard by the two mice.

"Allen~" groans Lavi, "didn't you just eat, like, three hours ago?"

"I way bigger then," defends Allen. "Shrinking makes me hungry."

The nutcracker faceplams. "It should make you less hungry."

"Well excuse me for not acting like a normal person shrunk down to the size of a mouse would." Allen yelps as a crack is heard and pain jabs him from his right arm. He looks down to see a red flower blooming on his upper arm.

Everyone leaps into action. Lavi shoves Allen forward, breaking into a sprint around a corner as Fou charges the other way. "Forest!" she yells to them. "There are ladders everywhere!"

"Fou!" yells Allen, worried for the girl until he sees the two mice charge straight for Lavi and him, not even sparing the girl a glance. "We need…to split up," he whispers to the nutcracker as they run. "Then we…can find out…which of us they're…after."

Lavi shakes his over sized head. "You don't know where the forest is. Just stay close and keep weaving to the side," he tells Allen, yanking him around another corner just in time to prevent him from being shot in the head.

"Come on, little girl~!" coos a voice full of mirth. "Leave that nutcracker and come with us. That pretty white hair'll sell well in the market."

Lavi stifles a laugh at Allen's outrage. "They think I'm a _girl_?" he whispers to the nutcracker. "Do I look like a girl to you?"

"Yes, a very pretty girl," Lavi says, pulling out the hammer he had used earlier and peering through the windows of the houses around them.

"Where do you and Kanda keep these things!"

Lavi laughs softly. "Do you really want to know?" he asks, getting a firm grip on the hammer and facing the house behind them. "Duck," he intones flatly. Allen drops like a stone as Lavi swings clean through the wall of the house. The teen is yanked swiftly to his feet by the nutcracker, running through the giant hole now in the wall.

"Why the hell are we going though the back door?" Allen yells as Lavi kicks open the door. "You already knocked a hole in the wall; what difference is another?"

"This one leads straight to the forest," Lavi hisses, holding a finger to his lips as he pulls Allen along. Both males strain their ears for gun shots or footsteps as they creep towards the trees, but hear nothing. Soon, they're at the edge of town with a strip of bare land separating them and the forest.

"Ready?" asks Lavi, glancing back and forth. "On the count of three. One," both get in position, "two," Allen gulps and glances to Lavi, seeing the anxiousness in his eye despite the permanent grin, "…_three!_"

Both shoot out like a bat out of hell. Shots start ringing out, but Allen can barley hear them over the blood roaring in his ears They clear the trees, not wavering in pace as they scan the area around them for a ladder. They run into Fou climbing up a ladder in a few short minutes and follow suit, painfully aware of the galloping behind them.

Allen has little time to grab the ropes before the make shift ladder is jerked up high enough in the trees hide them. The two mice ride slowly into view, pausing heart stoppingly close to their location. Allen can feel the sweat on his palms has he clings to the ladder, not even daring to breath.

After a century, the pursuers move on, and Allen is pulled the rest of the way up. He lunges onto the somewhat solid ground of the tree hut, thankful to be alive. "Thank y-"

"Who are you?" demands a man with blond hair standing next to Fou. "A spy, or some stupid girl going to met a boy in another village?"

"I'm a boy!" yells Allen. "See?" he flips up his shirt and ignores the few snickers and blushes he receives in response.

Lavi laughs from the other side of Allen. "I knew I'd like you!"

Bak gasps. "Lavi! You're with this…kid?" Lavi nods. "Is he cursed, too then?" Again, he nods. "Then bring him with us; you guys have to set of soon."

The nutcracker follows Bak into a hollowed out tree without hesitation, happy to be closer to breaking his curse, but Allen slowly tags along, to focused on the way the light shines through the trees to give the tree hut civilization a surreal look to care. He misses the little step on the way into the tree and trips, falling into Lavi who, in turn, falls onto the table holding detailed plans in the middle of the small room.

"Just perfect," groans Bak. "What could possibly go wrong?"

+…+

"So," starts the Earl, chewing on a hard-boiled egg, "you let not just the nutcracker, but the girl escape as well?" David and Jasdero nod fearfully. "You really are useless, aren't you? Lero!" His purple umbrella appears in his hand. The Earl points the pumpkin tip straight at the two failures.

"No! G-give us a chance! If you won't, at least let Jasdero go!" yells David, moving in front of his brother to defend him.

"D-David…" whimpers Jasdero.

An idea forms in the Earl's mind as he watches the two's bond. "If you're so close, why don't I make you closer?"

Lero is swung in a wide ark, sinister dust spreading from its tip to cover the two. They glow in a fashion similar to when Allen shrunk, but their bodies start to become soupy. At their feet, their shadows begin to combine, swirling like a whirlpool. As their bodies melt, a new being begins to rise from the whirlpool. When the spinning stops, a new person opens his eyes, waiting for a command. Long hair a mix of blond and black flow to his feet, almost as long as the dark red coat he sports.

"Happy birthday, Jasdevi. Go! Capture the nutcracker!"

+…+

"Dismissed! Go get some sleep everyone; you're going bright and early tomorrow!"

'Finally!' Allen wastes no time in sprinting out of the suffocating room and out into the now dark treetops. The plans spin in his head as he aimlessly wanders around, trying to keep everything straight. 'All we have to do is travel to the Sea of Storms, which is the most dangerous sea in _existence,_ sail through it, infiltrate the Earl's castle, save Princess Lenalee, and have her turn Lavi and I back to normal.' Allen groans out loud. 'This'll never work!'

At Komui's castle, a jewel has been found that could nullify any curse or spell, no matter how old or powerful. Only a few could use it, and fewer could call on it's power when far away from it. Lenalee was able to use it, but had to be touching it. No others had been found alive that could wield the jewel, so she was their only hope.

'Wait…where am I?' Allen spins around, looking for the tree he started at, but everything looks the same to him. Desperate, he keeps walking forward, hoping the path goes in a circle kind of shape. Unknown to him, he already missed the turn to go back and was now walking on a 'fishing area' where children would look out for travelers and drop a hook tied to a transparent line in order to steal their supplies.

Allen groans to himself as he reaches the end of the walk, but pauses when he sees a familiar big head illuminated by the full moon. He moves forward to talk to Lavi, opening his mouth to make his presence known, but the nutcracker heard him coming and turns to great him.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"I got lost," admits Allen, taking a seat next to Lavi. "What about you?"

The nutcracker looks to the giant moon in the sky. "I wanted to be awake for this."

"For wha-" Allen stops talking as Lavi's body glows softly. It's a light much different from the one the Earl's curses possesses, and has a calming effect. The teen watches in shock as Lavi's head shrinks and his painted on clothes begin to gain volume and texture.

The glow fades, and he faces Allen now completely normal. "Every night since I helped Lenalee, for a few moments, I'm…human. I think it's a way to drive the victim crazy. They're able, just for a moment, to remember what they were."

Lavi sits down next to Allen and offers his hand. The teen gingerly removes the glove from his normal hand and touches Lavi's. The skin is real. He moves to take his hand back, but Lavi's closes over his own. Allen meets his eyes and notices the one that was cracked as a nutcracker is white and unseeing. Gently, the teen reaches up to touch the skin around the eye. "Did that hurt?"

A painful smile blooms on Lavi's face. "No," he says in a broken voice. "I'm wooden, not able to feel anything at all."

Allen's eyes don't leave his face as he withdraws his hand. 'He really is quite handsome. If only Lenalee hadn't kicked him out before the jewel was found; he could've lived happily.'

"Why are you going to save the princess? Didn't she hurt you?"

A sigh ghosts across the air. "I can't blame her-" Lavi sucks in a breath and closes his eyes, mouth contorting in a grimace before it's forced into a grin. Allen feels the hand he's holding turn hard and let go. He fiercely grips the hand in his own as the transformation finishes. "I'm a freak."

"No, you aren't!" Allen yells. "Being ugly doesn't make you a freak! Hell, you'd be so hot if it wasn't for this curse!' He removes his hand from Lavi's to pull off his other glove and reveal his red arm. "Am I a freak?" Lavi shakes his head. "Neither are you! Just because you don't act and look like everyone else doesn't make you strange; it makes _you_ you." Allen sighs and takes out a black eye patch Daisya had gotten him for a joke to cover his scar. "If it really bugs you so much, here."

The nutcracker moves leans forward and embraces the teen. "Thank you." Allen wraps his arms around Lavi as well. They stay like that for a few moments until Lavi pulls back and puts on the eye patch. "Do you really think I'm hot?"

"Never speak of it again, or I'll throw you off this edge."

"Aw~! But you used to have such a crush on me when you were younger!" whines Lavi. "Always staring at my body, captivated by my hotness!"

"I was eight," defends Allen, looking away and blushing. "Kanda stared at you, too."

Lavi hugs Allen. "But not as much as you!" The teen sighs and relaxes, staring at the big full moon. The two dissolve into random topics, Lavi talking in detail about his world and Allen explaining the basic plot of Harry Potter to him. It felt…nostalgic to both of them, Allen remembering his 'dreams.' Little did he know they really did take place.

'If only I could stay here," thinks Allen, a warm feeling spreading through him as he looks at Lavi. 'But I have to go back…right?'

+…+

'**David, I think we're lost.'**

'_No way, Jasdero! This has to be the way!'_

'**We passed that tree five times.'**

_'…'_

**'…'**

'_I know! Why don't we try the new nose our body has!'_

'**Great idea!'**

'…_What does the nutcracker smell like?'_

'…**I don't know…'**

Jasdevi makes a howl of rage at the massive headache he's getting.

'_Wait! Why don't we just follow the scent of salt!'_

"That's it!" yells Jasdevi, an idea forming in his mind. "I can use my nose and smell the sea salt!" He sets off, glad his head ache has started to fade.

+…+

Allen and Lavi peer over the edge of the gorge to see…nothing. Floating rocks hang suspended in the air, leading from their end to the other. 'I knew I should've stayed back at the tree huts.'

"Ladies first. Go ahead, Fou."

The girl glares at Allen. "Why doesn't she go?"

"I'm a guy!"

"P-please stop arguing," asks a vampire like man that goes by the name of Krory. "Why don't I go first while you guys figure out the order?"

Lavi blinks. "You sure, Kro-chan? It's a long way down."

Allen smacks the back of Lavi's head, hurting himself more than the wooden male. "Don't freak him out."

Krory gulps and moves to the end of solid ground. He gives another look around to the almost barren space around them and jumps to the first floating rock. It moves dangerously, but stays up right. He steadily moves along the rock path, catching himself the few times he almost falls.

"If that guy can do it," reasons Fou, backing up to get a running start, "then so can I!" She jumps and lands squarely on her feet. "Come on, chickens! Last one over a melted piece of chocolate!"

Allen rolls his eyes as her and follows suit. Fou spins around on her stone, knocking into another stone and causing a chain of reactions that ends with Allen's being bumped while he's not quite stable.

"Ah!" he yells, falling off. In a panic, he stretches out his arms for anything. When his palm smacks a branch, he doesn't hesitate to grab it. "Lavi!" he screams, feeling the branch sink with his weight. He looks down at the darkness, getting a major sense of vertigo.

"Allen!" The nutcracker dashes to the ground above where Allen hangs, kneeling down and reaching for him. Allen uses his closer left hand to reach for him as well, but the branch sinks more, making the gap too big. Lavi yanks off his other arm, a _pop _resounding loud enough for Fou and Krory to notice the situation.

"Come on!" yells Krory, worry and panic clear in his voice. "You can do it!"

Allen once again reaches for Lavi's hand. The combined length of his arms are just long enough for the teen to reach him. As the nutcracker pulls him up, the branch finally falls. Allen goes pale when he doesn't hear it hit the ground.

"Thank you," he puffs out once his feet are on solid ground. Allen tries to stand, but his legs are shaking so much it's impossible.

Lavi gets a mischievous look in his eyes. "Allow me, fair maiden," he teases, scooping Allen up in a bridal style hold. The teen yelps, blushing red, as the nutcracker carries him across the rocks steadily. After they get across, Lavi doesn't put him down and continues walking, much to the amusement of their other two companions.

"I'm fine!" protests Allen. "Put me down." In all honesty, he doesn't want him to release him, but the knowing looks of Fou and Krory are enough to embarrass him to no end.

"But a gentleman always escorts the lady the whole way to her destination," says Lavi, but he does release Allen.

"Who you callin' a lady?" Allen responds, spitting to the side and pretending to pick his nose. Lavi laughs as the group continues forward.

+…+

An endless black sea stretches over the horizon, waves lapping hungrily at the sandy purple shore. A dock void of any fully working boat waits at the bottom of the hill the small group walks down, offering little hope. It was pure planning that allowed their path to open near the only surviving section forest for miles that allows for wood to repair the boat.

Lavi looks around, trying to move his grin in a frown, but failing. "This isn't right," he mumbles, looking at a cluster of dead trees a quarter mile away. "Where are the fairies?" Allen looks at him questioningly, but turns his attention to Fou as she talks.

"Vampire here and I are going to gather supplies to repair the boat. Go grab some water somewhere," she tells them, clearly just wanting Allen out of the way, wary of his clumsiness. The teen frowns, knowing clearly what Fou's intention is.

"Come on, Allen," Lavi says, grabbing his hand and pulling him away. "I know where an old well is." He allows himself to be lead towards the trees Lavi had stared at while the others go in the opposite direction. The ground changes from sand to dry rock about half way there. Allen begins to say something, but Lavi holds his finger to his lips. When they arrive, he leads Allen to a small circle of trees and stops at the center where a man hole like item is.

"They capped it!" the nutcracker sounds outraged, but his grin stays in place. Lavi pulls out his hammer and shimmies the cover open. No sooner is it off that sparkles of green shoot out from it. As one flies closer, Allen realizes with a shock that it's a small woman with wings. The fairy flies over to Lavi and whispers in his ear.

"You're welcome," he answers. "We need some water and food; do you mind?" He gestures to the dead land. The winged midget, as Allen calls them, nods and flies over to the others. At once, one lone fairy separates from the pack as others spread out. On some invisible cue, all the fairies start to spin, sparks flying from their feet. When a steady stream comes from each, they move in a way a human would describe as dancing around the area. Green grass beings to grow, and trees gain leaves. Water springs from the open hole, and apples grow on the trees. The whole picture looks like a nature film on fast forward.

The fairy sitting out possessing brown braids blushes as Allen's face blooms a gentle smile as he watches the fairies dance. She moves over to Lavi, catching Allen's eye as she whispers to him. "What did she say?"

"That you're cute."

Allen blushes red and looks at the near by dancing fairies. "They're so beautiful," he breathes.

Lavi smiles- well, his grin widens- and moves towards Allen. "Would you like to try?"

"I-I can't-"

"It's easy," sooths the nutcracker, taking Allen's hand in his and moving the other to the small of his back. "Just move to the beat. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3…" Lavi steps the typical steps for a waltz, leaving Allen to do his best not to stumble. "You have to look up, Allen."

"I can't!" he yells back, frustrated as his feet tangle up. "Whoa!" Allen trips forward into Lavi. The nutcracker reaches out his arms to steady him. The teen looks up at Lavi's eyes, remembering the fun they had last night as the warm feeling stirs inside him. "Lavi…"

A big ball of flame flies passed the two, making them jump apart and look in the direction of the ball's origin.

"I missed! Damn it all!" yells a frustrated Jasdevi, flicking his hand around his head where multiple fairies are attacking. "Pests!"

Allen recovers first. 'He ruined our moment!' he thinks indignantly.

"Run!" Lavi yells, sprinting towards the way they came. Allen soon trails, silently thanking the fairies. They fly across the rock, stumbling a little when it changes to sand. When Allen catches sight of a pink form near a boat, he screams at the top of his lungs, "Put it in the water! We need to leave, _now_!" To his relief, the boat starts to move towards the waves as the others start pushing it.

Lavi gets to them first, but doesn't stop running. He uses the momentum to ram into the back, sending the small boat closer to the sea. Allen gets there next and tries the same, but only moves it a fraction of what Lavi did. He also hurts his shoulder. "Hell!" he yelps, taking time to rub the injury before helping to push the boat. Lavi laughs at him, but cuts off as a fireball comes dangerously close to the boat.

"We aren't going to make it!" yells Fou, still pushing even as she talks. "We have at least another yard to go! There's no way he's going to wait for us to get in the water before throwing more fire!"

Suddenly, the boat feels heavier to Allen. "Kro-chan!" he hears Lavi yell. "What are you doing? Help us push!"

Allen spares a glance to his left and sees Krory walking towards the now visible attacker. "I'll catch up to you later. Go save Lenalee."

"Don't joke around!" screams Fou, abandoning the boat. "There's no way you can beat that thing!" She slaps Krory in the back of the head. "Don't be stupid!" The boat touches the water slightly, but the group doesn't have enough time to finish pushing it in, especailly with just Allen and Lavi pushing it now.

"Fou!" yells Lavi. "Come on! If Kro-chan thinks he can do it, he can do it! Have a little faith!"

"Faith is for morons and little girls!"

Allen sweatdrops. "You are a girl."

"Not a little one"

"You're shorter than me," points out Allen, "and I've been called Moyashi my whole life!" Another fireball comes fatally close to Allen. He can feel the heat through his clothes, a chill entering his body when the warmth disappears as quickly as it came.

'Wood can burn,' whispers Allen's mind. 'If Lavi doesn't get out of here, he can easily catch on fire during the fight.'

"Fou, let him go." The girl in question turns to the teen as he does his best to hide his guilt. "Lavi's right; if Krory says he can handle it, he can handle it." In actuality, Allen can't imagine the shy man taking on a foe like that, but, for his nutcracker, he lies. He feels Lavi's look, but can't tell what emotion it contains.

Krory nods to them and dashes off across the sand, leaving a protesting Fou behind. She starts forward, as if to chase after the man, but seems to think better of it and returns to the boat now about a quarter of the way in the water. Allen doesn't dare to look up as he hears a loud explosion from the direction Krory went. 'Just get the boat to the water. Krory can handle himself. He _volunteered!_ Get the boat in the water.' Relief swims in Allen when he feels water slosh on his feet.

"Jump on!" yells Lavi, starting to have trouble in the water since he's so buoyant. Allen jumps on, but Fou looks back. Krory and Jasdevi are only dots in he distance, their friend having been able to lure him down the beach. A few occasional fireballs can be seen. "Now!"

Fou hesitates, but then turns and jumps for the boat now rapidly gaining speed as Lavi puts up the sail. 'I hope he's okay…'

+later...+

"He asked for a piece of wood and a girl, but you bring a vampire!" yells Tyki, now starting to seriously doubt the mental capabilities of his brothers- well, brother now. He glares at the princess who's laughing at the failure. "I'd shut up if I were you, or we'll feed _you_ to the vampire." He glances at the bloody pulp in Jasdevi's hands. "Throw him in the lower dungeons; maybe we can use him a bait. After all," a sadistic smile shows on his face, "the others will soon be here."

+…+

"What wrong, Allen" asks Lavi, moving closer to Allen on the small boat. The sun is only have way to the horizon, making it around mid-afternoon. Fou is asleep, but the other two are too wired to sleep. "You've been quiet since we left."

"Is it all right to have left Krory like that and save ourselves?" he asks, guilt still stabbing away at his heart. "Maybe I should've stayed."

Lavi laughs. "Still have that martyr-like side." Allen looks at him curiously. "Remember? You told me about it when you were ten. Some mean kid named Charles was picking on your friend named Moa. You defended her and got the snot beat out of you. I asked you why you stood up for her if you would get hurt, and you said, 'I don't care if I get hurt, as long as it's for a friend.'"

Allen pouts, knowing he could do something now. He'd worked at a circus to pay off Cross debts a few years ago and always practiced so he could stay in shape. The teen gasps. "Wait! The dreams were real?"

"Look around you, Allen!" Lavi taps his forehead. "Can your mind come up with something so detailed?"

Allen glares at him. "Is that a shot at my intelligence level?"

Lavi tries a different approach. "Is Fou a dream?" The teen looks away, but Lavi turns his head back towards him and meets his eye. "Am I a dream?"

'I hope not.' Allen bites his lip, not daring to voice his thoughts. Uncertainty swells within him. The old feeling he'd had towards the nutcracker when he was younger has come back full force, maybe even stronger, but what did that mean for him? Even if they were to brake the curse, Lavi couldn't come back with him. He would probably get hit by a car when going to inspect some other device not in his world. Could Allen stay? He had school, and Cross- well, Cross made him want to stay all the more, but Kanda was genuinely his friend. Would it be better if this was all a dream?

"Land!" screams Fou, making both Lavi and Allen nearly jump out of their skin and into the water. "Look, the castle!" She points out to sea. Sighing as another moment is ruined, Allen follows Fou's finger. A large, basin like form stands out in the bright day, somehow dampening the light with the pure foreboding the place gives off. Even with the tallness of the rock, a mansion's roof can still be seen.

"Um…how do we get in? Are magical fairies going to descend from the heavens with a swing of flowers and carry us?"

"Don't be silly, Allen. That stuff only happens in moves," says the talking wooden doll. The teen opens his mouth to respond, but instead ends up almost biting his tongue off as the boat rocks violently. The sea turns dark, and the water begins to churn around the boat as the wind picks up speed.

"What's going on?" yells Fou, embracing the pole holding up the sail to stay of the boat. Allen and Lavi follow suit.

"I think it's the Earl's magic! We _are_ in his territory!" A giant wave washes over the small boat, nearly sending Fou and Allen flying. In fact, Allen looses his grip. Lavi manages to grab him in time, but supplies rolls off into the sea. Out of one backpack comes a familiar green sparkle.

"Why is a fairy here?" screams Allen over the wind.

"Stowaway!" Lavi screams back. Another wave hits. Three bodies pull a different way, causing the pole to brake. "Allen!"

"La-!" The teen's head is submerged into the cold ocean, body sucked towards the swirling water. He gasps as his head flies above water, only to be yanked back down. 'Someone…help! Lavi! Where are you?' Allen takes every chance to look for the nutcracker, but barely has enough air to stay conscious himself.

Finally, Allen can no longer find the surface and sinks into darkness.

+…+

Lenalee watches with amazement and fear as a swirling hole opens in the center of the Earl's room. Tyki and a little girl with crazy eyes named Road watch along with the owner of the room as, just like Jasdevi, a form begins to rise. 'Wait…there are two!' Soon, a girl with pink hair and a water-logged nutcracker lay in the room, both knocked out.

Road crackles madly. "This is the girl and nutcracker those two idiots couldn't get? My, my, how pathetic!"

The Earl cracks Lero into the floor. "This is the wrong girl!"

"B-but Lord Millennium," squeaks the umbrella, fearing for its life, "there was no other female in the water, only a male!"

The Earl stops hurting Lero. "Where is he?"

"I-I think he drowned! The heat humans give off faded after he wasn't able to struggle up to grab air for a long time!" Lero reports. "Please don't hurt me!"

Lavi, who is actually still somewhat conscious, hears the fate of Allen. "No…" he whimpers, thinking of the boy who he'd basically watched grow up from the age of eight. The boy he'd slowly fallen in love with over the years. "Allen…" His whimpers go unheard.

"Take him out to the courtyard," orders the Earl. "He'll serve nicely as fuel for the wedding shower. Lock the other girl in with the vampire."

Lavi tries to move his limbs as he feels himself being dragged roughly on the ground, but it's no use. He can hear Fou's groans as she is moved in the same way. 'What happens now?' he wonders, heart breaking as he thinks of Allen once again. 'What do I do?'

"Make sure to invite the whole kingdom to the wedding!" yells the Earl to his minions as the doors slam closed, separating Fou and Lavi. "If anyone doesn't want to come," he passes out swords and weapons, "you know what to do."

+…+

Allen groans out loud into the empty air. 'My head…' He opens his eyes, only to shut them again, hissing in pain when the bright noon sun hits them. 'Wait…noon!' The teen bolts up, dry clothes rustling at the movement. 'I was drowning; how did I end up here?'

A bright green spark shyly reveals herself to him, blushing furiously. *****Hi,* she chimes. *I'm Lou Fa. I'm sorry I was only able to transport you into the Earl's castle; you're friends were already in the whirl pool before I could get to them.*

"I'm at the Earl's castle?"

Lou Fa nods and smiles. *Yep! I put you in an ideal place to save your friends as well!* Allen looks around and realizes he's sitting on an _extremely narrow _platform. I mean, so narrow the Earl had no change of fitting a quarter of his rear end on there. A window, though, sits open behind him. *Go through there, down the stairs, take a left, then a right, go down another flight of stairs-*

"Please just show me," begs Allen, already lost in his mind with her directions. Lou Fa nods and flies in; Allen follows, bracing himself for anything.

+…+

Bak stares out into the forest, looking for any sign of his pink haired friend. Worry circulates through his body at break neck pace, not allowing him to rest since Fou left. He knew it was dangerous and hadn't wanted the girl to leave, but she could be persuasive. He rubs the still tender bruises on his arm.

A dark figure catches his eye. Tense, Bak slowly creeps back, fully intending to raise the alarm a few feet away.

"Where do you think you're going?" asks a rough voice before everything goes black for Bak.

+…+

"Get out of the way, you ass hole!" yells Fou, kicking one guard in the face and another in the balls. "Don't you ever try holding me prisoner again, Noahs!" Allen trembles from his position at the cage door, too frightened by the girl's rage to move.

Krory, already used to her, sighs and starts up the stairs. "Let's go find Lavi."

Fou grips the still conscious guard by the shirt. "Where's the wooden man?" she hisses, shaking him back and forth.

"He's in the court yard," squeaks the man, voice an octave higher than it should be. "The Earl plans to use him for kindling for the princess and Tyki's wedding!"

Fou punches the mouse out. "Come on!" she yells at Allen, following Krory up the stairs. "Are we going to save your boyfriend or not?"

The white haired boy recovers enough to blush and yell, "He's not my boyfriend!" before trailing after the pink haired girl, making a note never to piss her off. Lou Fa sits on his shoulder, giving directions to the pavilion the ceremony is to be held in.

It takes them a short time to get there, only running into a few guards that Fou takes down mercilessly since most are attending the 'wedding.' They emerge into open air on a raised level surround the courtyard, the sun beginning to sink into the horizon, causing a cruelly beautiful backdrop for the situation at hand. Lines of flags hang from the pillars supporting the roof above them and gather in the middle of the wide space where a ring of rocks sits. Lying in the middle, bound with ropes, is Lavi.

Fou gasps and points down below them. "It's Baka Bak! That idiot was captured!"

"Wait, Fou," Krory says, sticking a hand out to keep her from jumping down and killing the man right there. "If you look, more people from the tree tops are being led in. There must have been a raid of some sort." He scans the ground and suddenly gasps. "Look! It's the king!" he yells, pointing. Allen, who's never seen the king before, follows his finger over to a man weeping wildly at a girl dressed in white while Noah guards try and pull him back.

"_Lenalee~!"_ his scream echoes. "_How could you get married without telling your dear brother~!_"

"You mean the crazy guy in a beret is King Komui?" Fou and Krory sigh and nod. Allen studies the bride. 'She _is_ very beautiful.' He notices chains on her ankles when she shifts.

The group jumps as they hear a slap resound in the air. They look over to where the tree top people stand to see Bak on the ground, cradling his cheek.

Fou jumps up on the railing and points at the Earl. "What the hell do you think you're doing, ass hole? No one tortures Baka Bak but me!"

Allen faceplams. "Fou! That's not the point- ah, whatever!" He and Krory both follow Fou's lead as she grabs one of the ropes around a pillar and slides down. Allen hesitates as he sees the guards and pauses, actually forming a plan, unlike Fou and Krory.

'The three of us have no chance, especially with no weapons.' He looks to Lavi. 'Lavi's our best bet to beat the Earl, but we need a major distraction to get the guards away…' Allen looks at the chains binding the tree top people and other groups. He notices it's actually just one long chain with smaller ones branching out, not individual chains. 'That's it!'

Lavi watches a silvery head of hair slide down the ropes, dropping from a level that could nearly break bones. "Allen!" he yells. 'He's not dead! He's not dead!' Lavi wanted to cry from joy. His eyes continue to watch Allen as he sprints passed some mice, grabbing a sword from a one too stunned to do anything. Quick like lightning, he raises the blade above his head as he reaches the wall where the main chain is attached. All the captives watch him bring the metal down hard onto the chain, severing it from the wall. The ones nearest to the teen jumped forward to defend him from the on coming guards while the others went out for blood in a fashion similar to Fou. Allen has none of that. He side steps around the fray building around him and ran straight for Lavi.

Komui, who's still being held by the guards, smirks evilly as he reaches into his back pocket to take out his portable drill (complete with lasers). The mice take one look at it and run for the hills, allowing to king to go help his sister. Lenalee's none too happy at being held prisoner; she grabs the spare drill Komui always has and goes for Tyki. Krory and Jasdevi are locked in a rematch, and Fou is battling Road, leaving the path to Lavi clear.

"Hi," supplies Allen, smiling down at Lavi before swiftly slicing his binds off. The nutcracker shakes off the ropes at stands up only to have Allen had him a sword. "I doubt you have that hammer from before, so you're stuck with this." He pats Lavi's back twice. "Good luck."

Lavi laughs but is interrupted as a flash of magic flies by, missing him by _thismuch. _He turns in time to dodge another spell. The Earl slowly advances forward, flinging spell after spell at the nutcracker, not allowing any room for attack. Allen, fearing that if he interferes he could distract Lavi, can only watch helplessly as the Earl gets in range. Lero is swung, meeting the normal blade in the air. Sunlight gleams off it as the metal catches the sun. The nutcracker pulls the sword back, quickly thrusting it forward again to try and knock the Earl off balance, but he easily counters. The Earl aims at Lavi's stomach, forcing him back towards Allen. He continues dodging the umbrella, clueless to the Earl's real plan.

Finally, it happens. Lavi sees an opportunity and dodges to the right…leaving Allen wide open. Lero is swung, sinister magic flying at Allen. The nutcracker sees the spell coming and, not willing not lose Allen again, sprints in front of him. The spell turns to termites, burrowing deep into Lavi. A scream erupts from his mouth grin still on his face even as he collapses to the ground, sword falling uselessly from his hand.

"No!" yells Allen, kneeing next to Lavi. "Lavi! _Lavi!_" In the reflection of the blade next to him, the teen can see the Earl approaching, Lero held straight at Allen.

"You're next, my dear," he taunts. "Why don't I shrink you even more!"

The spell soars at Allen. He grabs the hilt of the sword, recalling every fantasy movie he's ever seen. 'Please work," he prays, holding the sword in front of him. The spell bounces off just like he planned, hitting the Earl straight on. He feels the sword begin to fly from his grip and uses his other hand to steady it, not daring to put it down till he's positive the whole spell is over. Everyone in the area freezes, Noah and toy alike, to see what has become of the Earl.

There, in front of Allen, stands a two inch high Earl. The toys surge forward to grab the now tiny tormentor, but he dives into a near by sewer drain. Other Noah flee as well, but Tyki, Road, and Jasdevi all are captured along with a few guards. Allen, though, sees none of this, to focused on finding the one person he thinks can help.

"Lenalee!" he yells. "Princess Lenalee! Please save him! Help!" Allen stares helplessly at the nutcracker falling apart before his eyes. "Lavi," he whispers.

"Oh! It's that nutcracker again." Allen looks up to see Lenalee. She catches sight of his desperate face and smiles warmly at him, trying to make the situation better. "Did you rescue me? I wouldn't mind marrying you."

"I'm gay and not interested," Allen tells her bluntly. "If you really want to pay me back, use that jewel thing to save him."

Lenalee sighs. "I would if I could, but I can't. I have to be touching the jewel it's too far away for me to use." She places her hand on Allen's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Allen sets his head down on Lavi chest, doing his best to ignore the sound of buzzing that comes from the insects within. 'Lavi, how can I help you?'

_Do you really want to save him?_

Allen jerks his head up. "Who are you?" he yells out loud, hoping he isn't starting to hear voices in his head.

_Do you want to save him?_

He sighs in annoyance. "Duh!"

_Place your red arm on his head without the glove on._

Allen quickly yanks off his glove, ignoring the gasps around him, and places it on Lavi's head. A green glowing starts from the center of the back of his hand. Everyone holds their breaths for a minute…then two…then five…

"It's not working."

_I didn't finish. You should listen more._

'The voice in my head is talking back to me? I'm going to need therapy after this.' Allen looks around him at the moving toys, the talking mice, and the nutcracker. 'No, I needed therapy to begin with.'

_Now, you have to kiss him._

"What?" Allen yells, blushing furiously as he jerks his hand off of Lavi. The glowing stops.

_Is it worth letting the one you love die because you're so shy?_

Allen glances at the people around him and then down at Lavi. "No, but-wait!" His blush comes back full force. "Who said I loved him?"

"Like it wasn't obvious!" yells Fou from somewhere in the crowd. "Just kiss him already!"

The teen looks at Lavi, his grin still present even though his eyes are shut in pain. Softly, Allen places his hand back on his head, green glow coming back even stronger than before. He leans down and ever so lightly presses his lips where Lavi's would be if he were normal. A soft light spreads from Allen's hand, covering not just Lavi, but Allen's red arm as well. The nutcracker's massive head morphs to normal, his painted on clothes become fabric, and his mouth molds to fit Allen's lips.

Green eyes blink open, the eye patch sliding down to reveal one eye is still blind. Lavi regards the teen still kissing him, unaware the nutcracker- well, ex-nutcracker- is okay because his eyes are closed. The red head smirks into the kiss and licks the bottom of Allen's lip, arms coming up to hold the other down. Allen gasps as he feels arms come around him, unintentionally deepening the kiss.

"Gross~!" yell a few kids in attendance.

"Oi!" screams Fou. "We get it! Go book a room!"

Allen jumps away from Lavi, mind reminding him they have an audience. Flushing, he attempts to discreetly wipe the spit from his lip, but lets out a gasp as he catches sight of his arm. Instead of being the nasty red he was used to, a dense black now rests on his arm. "All right; what just happened?" he asks, holding a hand to his head. "I'm thoroughly confused. How did I change Lavi back?"

"It was the power of your love-" starts Lavi, moving closer to the teen.

"No, he can just use the jewel from far away," supplies Komui.

"Don't ruin the moment~!" whines Lavi. "I was gonna butter him up before asking if he'd stay or not!" He turns with a pleading look on his face. "_Are_ you going to stay?"

Allen looks around at the people. There was not one disgusted face in the crowd even after they saw his arm. He sees Fou doing her best to hide her anxious expression and Krory letting his free. Finally, his eyes land on Lavi, and a smile comes to his face.

"Sure." Lavi yells out and glomps Allen as the crowd cheers, Fou and Krory louder than any others.

In all the confusion, Road manages to break free. She takes out a magic orb the Earl had given her in case something were to go wrong and sprints towards the happy couple. Lavi, unaware of the approaching danger, stands up and offers his hand to Allen with a soft smile so unlike the painted grin he used to have. The teen reaches for it, but is suddenly immersed in smoke.

"That's for the Earl!" screams Road, smirking sadistically as Allen stumbles to his feet, already disappearing. People surge forward, some grabbing Road and others to somehow grab Allen.

"Allen!" Lavi reaches forward for him, but his hand goes right through him. "Allen! I love you!"

"Lavi…" Allen reaches forward, face already fogy. "I-"

_DING!_

Allen jerks up from his position on the couch, blanket falling off him to the floor. A cold sweat runs down his face as he pants, arm outstretched to meet nothing. The clock continues to chime, announcing it's eight o-clock to the world.

'A dream?' Allen thinks, running his gloved hand through his hair. He looks around the room, straining his ears for the sounds of other people in the house. From the kitchen comes the clank of silverware and the voices of Marie, Kanda, Daisya, and Tiedoll.

"Allen!" Daisya proclaims, walking in with a bowl of cereal in hand. "Glad to see ya awake! You looked so out of it we just let ya sleep."

"So I was here all night?" asks Allen.

Daisya gives him a funny look as everyone else trickles into the room with their food. "Where else would you be? Unless," he smirks, "did you have one of you infamous dreams again?"

Allen nods. Stretching, he glances around for the nutcracker. 'Odd.' He does another sweep of the room. Allen jumps to his feet, nearly knocking over Kanda, and starts moving everything around in search on the toy.

"What the hell, Moyashi?" growls Kanda.

"The nutcracker," he supplies, "where did it go?" Allen looks back to the group as he moves over to the still broken glass case. He scans it, pausing as a pink-haired doll and a vampire-like doll smile at him from the second shelf. Allen kneels down to get a better look, cutting his left hand on the still broken glass. "Damn!"

"Wait to go, moron," scoffs Kanda, sucking down his morning soba.

"Shut up!" Allen shoots back. The door bell rings. No one moves to get it, Allen too busy studying the dolls to tend to his wound yet and the others to lazy to move. Sighing, Tiedoll gets up.

Allen removes his glove to reveal…black skin. His head spins around in circles as he stares numbly at the skin.

"Let me help you," breaths a familiar voice in his ear, making shivers go down his spine as a hand gently grasps his, "Allen." The teen lets himself be pulled to his feet, turning to meet a familiar face.

"Lavi?"

"Allen!" exclaims Tiedoll. "You already know Lavi then? He's an old friend of the family I invited for dinner. I'm glad I don't have to give an introduction." Allen's not sure, but he thinks he sees a gleam in the old man's eye. "Why don't you two go to the kitchen and get some breakfast and clean your cut?" His stomach growls at the mention of food. Laughing, Lavi leads him to the kitchen sink.

"Let's patch you up first, and then you can eat," he tells the teen, putting the slowly bleeding cut under the faucet turning the tap so cool water flows onto his hand. Allen doesn't bother to hide his stare as he studies the red head. "Do you think I'm hot?"

"I told you not to say anything!" protests Allen. He gasps. "It _is_ you?"

"The one and only," he whispers with a mischievous smirk, leaning in close to Allen. His lips lightly brush the teen, testing and teasing. Allen makes an impatient sound in the back of his throat and immediately deepens the kiss.

"Nothing sexual in the kitchen!" yells Daisya, catching sight of the two as he walks to his room. "I need to eat there!"

Lavi laughs and separates long enough to yell, "Here or the couch!"

"Come in here and I'll kill you dead!" growls Kanda.

"Well then." Lavi moves back down to Allen, arm snaking around his waist. "Did you hear my confession in the 'dream' or do I have to say it again?"

"You mean 'I love you?'" asks Allen. Lavi nods. "Depends. Do I get to go back and eat Link's house?"

The ex-nutcracker laughs and pecks his lips. "Depends. What do I get in return?"

Allen winds his arms around Lavi's neck, wet hand making him shiver as it hits skin. "How about I love you too?" He raises an eyebrow. "You have to tell me how you're here, though."

Lavi fingers his eye patch. "This thing right here. After Road threw that magic on you, I begged someone to help. Apparently, Bak isn't a stranger to magic. He was able to use Lero to bind an object to a grow/shrink spell."

"Why didn't he just break the spell on you in the first place?"

"It was too strong." Lavi shrugs. "So, where were we? You were admitting your undying love for me?"

"Shut up," mumbles Allen, bring Lavi's head down for another kiss, glad his 'dream' came true.

**Just a fluffy story for X-mas, even if it is 4 days late. Again, criticism welcome! See ya~!**


End file.
